Forever
by elgirl
Summary: I love the Fosters and really loved the Flashbacks from Season 1 show, "Vigil". This is my take on what happened between flashbacks. Mostly Stef and Lena.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 Instantly**

Stef was so mad. She had just hung up the phone with Mike and he was obviously drunk. They were supposed to both go to the tour of the charter school, now she would have to go alone. She knew the separation was hard on him, but thought that he'd put his anger aside for the sake of their son. She walked into Anchor Beach ready for her tour and the secretary asked her to wait a moment for the Assistant Vice Principal. Stef said she'd be outside as she still needed to calm down a bit after the conversation with Mike.

Lena was running late. With her assistant out sick, she had to do all the tours to parents of perspective students along with all the paperwork. She rushed outside to the women waiting on the bench "Sorry to keep you waiting, "Hi, I'm Lena Adams, the Assistant Vice Principal".

Hi, "I'm Stef Foster". As Stef stood up, she was struck by the beauty of the person in front of her. As they shook hands, an electric current ran through her body. She didn't want their handshake to end. She was momentarily speechless lost in Lena's eyes.

Lena was having the same thoughts, "So, your son".

Stef could barely say her son's name "Brandon¸ Brandon, right".

Lena asked, "He will be starting kindergarten this fall"?

"Yes, he's 5".

"Great I would be glad to give you a tour, tell you about our school, are we waiting for your husband to join?"

"Uh, no, he's a..He couldn't make it"

Lena was happy it would just be the two of them, "Well, uh, follow me". As Lena turned to go, she wasn't sure why she was smiling. She was almost giddy, she was now glad her assistant was out sick and she got to give this tour to Stef Foster. As she showed Stef around the school and introduced her to some of the Staff, she had to keep reminding herself that Stef was married. Something drew her to this woman and she desperately wanted to get to know her better. When Stef drove away Lena was disappointed their time had ended and hoped that she'd see this woman again soon.

As Stef was driving home, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the rear view mirror and she saw something she hadn't seen in a while: A spark in her eyes and a smile on her face. She was pleased with what she learned about Anchor Beach and was excited that Brandon would have the opportunity to go to this school, but she knew that wasn't what was making her feel so good inside. It was Lena, Lena Adams. Why did she feel so good after less than an hour with this woman. She was confused and not quite sure what to do.

That night, as Lena was looking over the files of all the new students, she was disappointed after she read through Brandon Foster's file. Both his parents were listed as contacts, Mike and Stef Foster, sharing the same address. Lena quickly shut the file and tried to put her thoughts of Stef behind her. Stef was married and straight, how could she be attracted to her.

Over the next two weeks, Stef tried to think of reasons to contact Lena, but she was embarrassed and really had no reason to reach out to her. She knew school would be out for the summer soon and if she didn't make an attempt to contact Lena, she wouldn't know how to until school started again in August. That night as she listened to Brandon play with his toy piano she had an idea. The next day she called Anchor Beach and asked for an appointment with Lena. Her assistant said that she didn't have any appointments available as she was busy with the end of school. Disappointed, Stef left her number hoping Lena would get the message.

Lena looked up from her paperwork as her assistant walked in at the end of the day. She said that she was heading home and reminded Lena of some of the important meetings she had the next day. "By the way, Mrs. Foster called about Brandon, but I told her you didn't have any appointments this week".

"What, Mrs. Foster called?"

"She wanted to talk to you about Brandon, but I assured her everything was set for him to start in the Fall and she didn't have anything to worry about".

"Did she leave a number? I don't mind giving her a call to reassure her".

"Yes, it's right here". She handed Lena the memo with Stef's number. "I'll see you tomorrow".

"Have a good evening". Wow, Lena now had a reason to call Stef. Maybe Stef really did have some concerns about Brandon, but she wanted to see if there was anything more. When she got home, she dialed Stef's number.

"Hi, Mrs. Foster, this is Lena Adams. I'm sorry to call so late, but I understand you had some concerns about Brandon and Anchor Beach".

"Hi, Please, call me Stef. I don't really have concerns, but I was hoping to stop by and talk to you about some things".

"Well, I really don't have any time over the next few days during the school day, but I would be happy to meet you on the weekend if you want".

"I don't want bother you on the weekend".

"It's not a bother. I like to always be available for my parents".

"Ok, there's a coffee shop at the Promenade".

"That's perfect, is Saturday at 11a good".

"Yes, I'll see you on Saturday. Good night".


	2. Chapter 2 - Coffee

As Lena was driving to the coffee shop she was racking her brain trying to figure out what Stef wanted to talk about. Although she was biased, Anchor Beach was a great school and she couldn't understand what Stef would be concerned about. She got to the coffee shop early and picked a table in the corner and waited for Stef. When she saw Stef walk in, she felt butterflies in her stomach. She smiled as they made eye contact and watched Stef walk towards her. She wanted to give Stef a hug, but was afraid it might turn her off. She extended her hand instead.

When Stef saw Lena sitting in the corner of the café, her heart skipped a beat. She had thought about this woman constantly over the last few weeks. When she felt Lena's hand in hers, she didn't want to let go. She couldn't believe how soft it was. She felt herself blush as she pulled her hand away. "I'm going to grab a coffee, what would you like, my treat".

"That's ok, Stef, I can get my own".

"No, you are meeting me on a Saturday, I can buy you a coffee".

"Thanks, Black coffee would be great".

"One black coffee coming up".

Lena watched Stef walk to the counter and noticed how good her ass looked in her jeans. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that Stef was married and only here to talk about her son's education.

Stef returned with the coffees and handed Lena hers. Lena said, "Thanks. So, Stef what did you want to talk about".

"I wanted to talk about Brandon. His father and I have both noticed that he really loves music and I know he's only 5, but we really want to nurture that. I was wondering if Anchor Beach had any kind of music program."

When Stef mentioned Brandon's father, Lena felt like she had been punched in the gut. She straightened in her chair and looked over at Stef. "Yes, we do have a wonderful music program and we can certainly get Brandon into some classes. We could have discussed this over the phone".

"I know, I just…well, I just thought that it would be better to meet in person, you know…I just wanted to make sure you know how serious I was about this".

Lena noticed Stef's shy smile and wondered if there was something more to this. She decided she needed to find out. She was getting mixed signals and wasn't quite sure how to proceed. "So, Stef, is Brandon your only child?"

Stef was surprised by the question. "Yes he is, why do you ask?"

She noticed Stef looked a little uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry, I was just wondering if you had any more future Anchor Beach students." She figured she better change the subject. "So Stef, are you from around here?"

"Born and raised. You?"

"I'm from the Bay Area originally, but I came down here to start working at Anchor Beach." It took me awhile to get used to the area but now I love it here. I wouldn't trade it for anything".

Stef was glad the subject was changed. "I can't imagine living anywhere else. Have you always wanted to be a Vice Principal?"

Lena laughed, "No…I got my Bachelors in Psychology but after my roommate came home from doing her internship at a school, she was an education major, I was fascinated. I decided to get my Masters in Child Psychology and get my Education degree. I didn't intend on becoming a principal, it just seemed like the next step. How about you? Where did you go to school?"

Stef was a little intimated by Lena's education and embarrassed that she never finished college herself. She took a few classes at the Community College after the academy, but after she had Brandon, she didn't have the time, or the money, to do that. "I ummmm".

"Ms. Adams, how are you today?" Lena looked up and saw one of her former students standing there.

"Jenny, how are you doing?" She stood to hug the young woman.

"Stef, this is one of my former students, Jenny Lake. Jenny, this is a parent of one of my new students, Stef Foster. Jenny, what have you been up to?"

"I just finished my junior year at UCLA and I am home for the summer working. I actually was going to see if I could talk to you sometime and get some advice about school and my career". Looking at Stef she said, "Ms. Adams was my favorite teacher".

Stef said, "That's great. Go ahead, sit down, I've got to go, anyway. Lena, thanks for meeting me to talk about Brandon's musical education. I'll see you".

While Lena was happy to see Jenny and give her advice about her future, after all that was one of the favorite things about her job, getting to see her students succeed, she was disappointed to see Stef so eager to leave. "Thanks for the coffee Stef. I'll see you another time". At least she was hoping she would see her another time.


	3. Chapter 3 - Wondering

**This is my first fanfiction. I don't own the Fosters or the characters. I hope you are enjoying it. **

It had been a week since she had seen Lena. She found herself day dreaming about the brown haired beauty almost daily. She remembered what it felt like to have Lena's hand in hers, even if it was just for a handshake. She wondered what it would feel like to hold Lena's hand, those long fingers intertwined with hers. Several times at work, her partner had to ask her what she was thinking about. She always responded that it was nothing. After all, how could she tell anyone she was dreaming of another woman? She wanted to talk to someone about it, but didn't really have anyone she could confide in. She certainly couldn't talk to her Dad and really didn't want to bring it up with her Mom. She kind of wished she had kept in touch with some of her high school friends, especially Tess. She never went to college and most of her friends from the Academy were guys.

Lena had so enjoyed their meeting at the coffee shop and hated that it ended so soon. She was glad that Jenny ran into her and asked her for advice, but she had hoped her time with Stef would have lasted longer. Twice in the past week, she woke in the morning feeling happy after dreaming about Stef. One of the dreams was pretty steamy and just thinking about it made her smile. It had been over 6 months since she and Gretchen broke up and she longed for that intimacy again. Even though she missed the sex, it was the intimacy she missed the most. She wanted a relationship; she wanted to start a family. She chastised herself for thinking she could have that with Stef. After all, Stef was married and straight. She kept telling herself she needed to go out and meet someone else. After all, it was the summer and she had a few weeks off.

Lena spent the next few days running errands. She had decided to redecorate her bedroom and needed new bedding and paint. She caught herself wondering if Stef would like what she picked out. She noticed when she got home that her new bedspread had flecks of brown that reminded her of Stef's eyes.

Lena decided that the only way she could get Stef out of her mind, was to see her again and ask her if she was gay. She called Stef up the next day and left her a message, "Stef, this is Lena, I wanted to thank you for the coffee and wanted to see if you were available for lunch? Give me a call".

Stef was surprised when she listened to Lena's message. It had been a week and a half since she had seen her. She desperately wanted to see her and figure out why she was having these feelings. She decided to wait a day or two before calling Lena back. She was disappointed when she got Lena's voicemail, "Hi Lena, it's Stef. Ummm, I would love to have lunch with you. It's hard for me to get away from work, but could meet you on the weekend. Let me know".

Lena had been frustrated by her feelings for Stef so at the last minute, she jumped in her car and decided to drive up the coast to visit her parents. She wanted to talk to her Dad about Stef as she knew he would listen with an open mind and give her good advice. She was close to her Dad and was excited to see him again. She was even more eager about this trip, because she knew her Mom was out of town. She loved her Mom, but found it easier to talk to her Dad. She rode the whole way with the windows down and the radio cranked up. She stopped twice but never checked her phone so didn't know that Stef called until after she had gotten to her parents and she and her Dad had dinner. She kept their conversation light, she was tired from the drive and decided to not bring up Stef until the next day.

She kissed her Dad good night and headed up to bed. She climbed into bed and checked her messages. She was shocked when she listened to Stef's message. Did Stef really agree to meet her for lunch? She was so excited she dialed Stef's number. When she realized what she was doing, she was going to hang up when she heard Stef's voice, "Hi Lena".

"Hi Stef, I just got your message".

"I'm free for lunch on Saturday if you want to meet somewhere".

Lena wanted to see Stef, but she just drove all day to get here and didn't want to turn around and drive home tomorrow. Plus her Dad seemed lonely with her Mom out of town. "Oh Stef, I'm not in town. I'm visiting with my parents. I just got here a few hours ago".

"Oh, that's ok, maybe we can get together when you get back. Is everything ok with your parents?"

"Yes, My Mom's out of town, so I thought since I had some time off, I'd come up and keep my dad company".

"That's great. You and your Dad must be pretty close".

"We are. He's my hero and I love spending time with him. He thinks he can cook, but I know if I wasn't here, he would be eating frozen meals for week!"

Stef laughed, "I know, my Dad is the same way. He eats nothing but frozen food and sandwiches. I have to fill his pantry with healthy food every couple weeks.

Over the next hour, Lena and Stef talked about their parents and shared stories from their childhood. Both ladies were surprised at how easy the conversation flowed and how they enjoyed hearing about each other's lives. Lena was tempted to get in the car and drive home so she could see Stef again. She heard Stef yawn and realized how late it was. She was glad she didn't have to get up in the morning. "Stef, I know you probably have to work tomorrow, so I should go".

"Wow, I didn't realize it was so late. I'm sure Brandon will be waking me up a dawn, so I should probably call it a night".

"Good Night Stef".

Good Night Lena, I enjoyed talking to you".

Two nights later, Stef called Lena to tell her something funny Brandon said that day. They both laughed and again, they talked for over an hour. Lena had talked to her Dad about Stef, she just didn't tell him she was still married or for that matter, ever married. Her Dad listened to her and told her that it was going to be difficult getting involved with someone who had a child and his advice was to take things slow. He did tell her that she looked really happy and he hoped things worked out the way she wanted.

The following night, Lena called Stef and told her she was driving home the next day and was she free for lunch. Stef said that she wouldn't be free until the weekend, but could meet then. They set a time for Saturday and agreed to meet at the Promenade again.


	4. Chapter 4 - Lunch

Stef was excited about lunch. It had been two weeks since she had seen Lena and she was looking forward to their lunch. She arrived first and asked for a table near the window. She was actually 10 minutes early, but she didn't want to be late. She was gazing out the window when she saw Lena pull up and park. She watched as Lena walked toward the restaurant, noticing that Lena had a smile on her face. Was she as excited as Stef was for their lunch date. Wait, Stef thought a moment, was this a date? She had never dated a woman before. What was she doing here; she didn't even know if Lena was gay, she didn't know for sure if she herself was gay. The only thing she knew was that she wanted to see Lena. Their talks over the last few nights only made Stef think about Lena more and she just wanted to touch her hand.

When Lena walked in the restaurant she saw Stef sitting by the window. The sunlight radiated off her blonde hair making her look even more beautiful. Lena paused for moment as the breath literally left her. After taking a second to regain her composure, she walked over to Stef. When Stef stood to greet her, she took the opportunity to hug her. She could feel the energy pass between them and as they pulled away she momentarily lost herself in Stef's eyes. She didn't know how long she stood there before Stef's words brought her back to reality. "Hi, it's good to see you again. How was your drive home?"

"It was great, I took the scenic route and it was beautiful."

"Did your Mom make it home ok?"

"She did, but she wasn't happy that I left the next day. I told her I had things to do here", Lena said as she gazed into Stef's eyes again.

"Well, that's nice you were able to see them. So, what's good here".

They both perused the menu and when the waitress came, Lena ordered a Soup and Salad and Stef ordered a Tuna melt. They fell into easy conversation. After their meals had been cleared, Lena was telling a funny story about her first year of teaching and as she finished, she laughed and laid her hand on Stef's hand which had been resting on the table. She let it linger there for a few moments as she gazed into Stef's eyes. They both were really enjoying this tiny bit of intimacy when the waitress appeared and placed the check on the table. Lena squeezed Stef's hand before she let go and reached for the check.

"My treat. I owe you from the coffee anyway".

Stef laughed and said, "your coffee didn't cost as much as my sandwich".

"It's ok, it's my pleasure. By the way, where's Brandon?"

"His Dad took him to the park. It's such a nice day to be outside. I was going to do a little window shopping while I'm here, do you want to join me?"

"I'd love to".

They walked along the promenade commenting on the expensive boutiques and the women they saw walking around with multiple shopping bags. After an hour, they headed back to their cars.

Stef stopped in front of hers and said, "This is my ride. Thanks for a great afternoon".

Lena responded "Your welcome" and she leaned in and hugged Stef again, this time, kissing her cheek lightly as she pulled away. She saw the shock on Stef's face and for a moment thought she had just made a big mistake. Then she saw Stef smile shyly, even blush a bit, before she sighed.

"I have to go. I'm meeting Mike in 15 minutes". Lena's heart sank as she smiled at Stef and said, Good bye. She walked back to her car and argued with herself the whole way home. How could she do this, Stef was married. She already knew that she was falling for this woman and knew it was going to end badly. The only thing she could do was not see Stef again.

Over the next week, Stef called her several times, but she never returned her calls. She cried after listening to Stef's hurt voice on the 3rd and 4th messages. How could she explain to Stef that she couldn't see her again because she was falling in love with her. She needed to avoid Stef Foster and get over it. She decided to take a trip with her friends down to Mexico for a long weekend and for the first time in a long time Lena got drunk. Jenna and Kelly kept quizzing her about what was going on, but she just blamed it on a delayed reaction to her break up with Gretchen. They bought her story, so she just kept using that as an excuse.

Stef was so confused. She thought that she and Lena had hit it off and she couldn't understand why she wasn't calling her back. Stef even went to the coffee shop at the Promenade a couple times hoping to run into Lena, but she never did. She knew Lena wouldn't be at the school, so she wasn't sure how else she could get a hold of her. After two weeks, she gave up. She picked up a few OT shifts at work trying to keep her mind off Lena.


	5. Chapter 5 - Friends

When Stef got an invitation to an Open House for new parents at Anchor Beach, she quickly decided she needed to go and she conveniently forgot to tell Mike about it.

She arrived at the school and followed the signs for the Open House for the new kindergarten students. As she walked in the room, she looked around and for a moment felt very out of place. There were couples everywhere. Maybe she should have asked Mike to attend with her. She knew that would have been a mistake so she walked over to the refreshments and helped herself to a bottle of water. Then she heard it, that laugh she had been longing to hear for weeks. As she turned around, she saw Lena entering the room with two other ladies. When they made eye contact, Stef smiled shyly and took a sip of water.

As soon as Lena walked in the room and saw Stef standing alone in the corner, she wanted to take her hand again. She wanted to get lost in the eyes of the women she couldn't stop thinking about. The laughs of the ladies she was with brought her back to earth. She remembered she had a job to do. She smiled at Stef and told her friends she wanted to introduce them to someone. "Stef, I'm glad you came, I want to introduce you to some of the other Anchor Beach Parents". "This is Lucy, she has a son in the second grade and her daughter will be in Brandon's class". This is Colleen, she used to be a teacher here with me and now she is a full-time Mom, her oldest son is starting kindergarten too".

Stef responded, "That's great, it's nice to meet you both". The ladies made some comments that Stef didn't pick up on because she was too busy getting lost in Lena. She was confused about the effect this woman had on her. What was going on? It wasn't until Lena put her had on Stef's shoulder and said, "Yeah you should come with us" that Stef heard the other ladies laughing again. She was momentarily lost as she had no idea what they were talking about. Then she heard Lucy say, "girls night out has become pretty tame, but we'd love for you to join us".

Colleen said, "Yeah, I love my husband and kids, but it's nice to have 'girl time' every couple weeks". Stef laughed and said that she would love to join them.

Lena thinking this would be a reason to contact Stef again said, "Great, what's your number and I'll call you with the where and when".

Stef was a little dumbfounded because she knew Lena already had her number, but she played along anyway. She wrote down her number on a napkin and handed it to Lena.

Lena stuffed the napkin in her pocket and then excused herself saying she had to run to the room next door where the other new parents of 1-6 grade students were meeting. Stef was sorry to see Lena go, but enjoyed the conversations she had with Lucy and Colleen. She learned that Colleen's husband was in the Navy and currently serving overseas and that she relied heavily on support of her in-laws and other mothers with her three young kids. Lucy's husband was a doctor and worked long hours, so she looked forward to a few hours each week with her friends. Lucy asked Stef about her husband and Stef responded that she was separated and her husband wasn't able to make it. Lucy laughed and said that they always have more fun without the men anyway.

When Stef got home that night she was surprised at how much she was looking forward to 'girl's night out'. She didn't have many female friends and was looking forward to hanging out with these ladies. What she didn't want to admit to was how much she was looking forward to seeing Lena again and couldn't wait for her to call.

Lena was conflicted when she got home. She wanted to call and talk to Stef again, but wasn't sure she should go down this road again. She had to keep reminding herself that Stef was married and this could only be a friendship. She thought to herself that was ok, she could use a few more friends and she thought that Stef would be a great addition to her "girl's night out group". She decided to wait a few days before calling her with the time and location.

Several times of the next few days, Lena picked up her phone to call Stef and reminded herself that she had no reason to call her without the details of girl's night out. After hearing from Lucy about their plans for the following Friday, Lena decided it was time to call Stef. She poured herself a glass of wine and curled up on her couch. She called Stef's number silently praying she would answer.

Stef had just put Brandon to bed when she heard her phone ring. She assumed it was Mike and she really didn't want to talk to him. He missed calling Brandon before he went to bed and she really didn't want to get into with him again. She went to the fridge for a beer and walked over and picked up her phone seeing a number that she didn't recognize. Her first thought was to ignore it, but when it hit her it might be Lena, she grabbed it saying "hello".

Lena was just about to hang up, not wanting to leave a message when Stef answered. "Oh" she said, "I was just about to hang up".

Stef apologized and said that she had just put Brandon to bed. Lena said that she could call back later and Stef quickly responded, "No, it's ok". Lena asked how Brandon was and they chatted a few minutes about Stef's son. She told Lena how excited Brandon was to start school in a few weeks and she too was excited that Brandon would be at Anchor Beach. They made small talk about the school and Lena talked about how she progressed from being a teacher to Assistant Vice Principal. She shared with Stef about how committed she was to the kids and their education and Stef was so pleased that this woman would have some influence on Brandon's life.

Stef's phone started to beep as her battery was low. She was shocked to see that she and Lena had been talking to 45 minutes. She asked Lena about girl's night and Lena laughed, saying "well that's what I called you about. We are meeting Friday at 8p at Dino's on Vine Street, do you know where that is". Stef responded, "Yeah, I'll drop Brandon off at his Dad's and meet you there." "Ok, I'll see you Friday; enjoy the rest of your week". "Good Night."

Lena hung up the phone and couldn't help smiling. Did Stef just say that she would drop Brandon off at his Dad's? If so, that would meant that they weren't together. Lena felt a little guilty for hoping that was the case. She had to remind herself that just because Stef may not be with her husband; it didn't mean she was gay. She had really enjoyed their conversations and decided that even if they were destined to just be friends, she wanted that to happen.

As Stef stretched out on her couch, memories of Tess flooded back to her. Tess had been her best friend in high school and one day Stef's father found them cuddling on the couch and went ballistic. He called Tess's parents and suddenly Tess's family moved across town and they never saw each other again. It had been the most difficult time of Stef's young life. Her father sent her to his minister who told her being gay was a sin. At the time, Stef didn't even know if she was gay. She just knew that she loved being with Tess and was a little confused over the feelings she had for her friend. She felt those same feelings the first time she saw Lena and for the first time in a long time, she felt such contentment when she was in Lena's presence.

Stef awakened to Brandon asking her if she was ok. She was startled to realize she had fallen asleep on the couch and slept all night there. She hadn't slept that good in years and wondered if Lena Adams had anything to do with that.

Lena left work on Friday more excited about 'girl's night out' than she had been in months. She chastised herself after she changed outfits 3 times having to remind her self that this wasn't a date. She really enjoyed spending time with these women, especially since it had been months since she and Gretchen broke up and she was a little lonely. She drove to Dino's anxious to spend time with Stef in this casual setting.

Stef was running late. She had to spend some time with Mike before leaving Brandon with him to make sure he hadn't been drinking. Mike had given her the third degree about where she was going and who she was meeting and she had to remind him that they were separated. When she had seen the hurt in his eyes she apologized and told him about the other Moms she met at the school Open House.

As she walked into Dino's she looked around for her new friends. She saw them sitting at a table and was excited to see the empty seat next to Lena. As she slid in the booth, she apologized to all of them about being late and they laughed and told her she had better catch up as they were already on their second pitcher of beer. Lucy poured Stef a glass and introduced her to Nicole and C.J. Nicole was Lucy's neighbor and C.J. was a Navy Wife like Colleen. She noticed that Lena was drinking red wine and C.J. was drinking water.

Lena noticed that after Stef finished her first glass of beer that she hadn't really said much. She knew it was hard to get a word in edgewise with these 4 other women who had a history, so she turned toward Stef, leaned in, and asked her about her week. When Stef mentioned she had a difficult week at work, Lena knew that was her opportunity to ask questions about what Stef did. In all the conversations they had, Stef never talked about work and she had no idea what she did. Lena even thought a few times that maybe Stef was embarrassed about what she did, or maybe she had some super top secret job. She laughed to herself as she remembered a few of the things she pictured Stef doing. When Stef told her she was a cop, Lena was taken aback for a moment as this was not one of the things she thought about. She wasn't sure what she thought Stef did, but she didn't expect her to be a police officer. When Stef described having to rescue a women and child from an abusive husband, she got a little emotional. Lena reached down and put her hand on top of Stef's and told her how brave she was to do that kind or work. Stef smiled shyly and then excused herself to use the restroom.

When Stef returned to the table, Lena had joined into the conversation with the other ladies. C.J. was telling a funny story about her husband which made them all laugh. Nicole asked Stef about her husband. Stef explained that she and her husband had been separated for several months and she was adjusting to being a single mom. Nicole said that she understood that adjustment as she went through that a few years ago when her husband was killed by a drunk driver. Stef said that she was sorry to hear that and was quickly advised that's why Nicole was the night's designated driver. Stef said that she was glad they had worked that out and she herself would just finish the glass she had since she had to work the next day.

It was Lena's turn to excuse herself for the restroom and when she returned, she sat down closer to Stef. The ladies were all talking about college life, when Lena laughed and touched Stef's leg under the table. Stef had the same feeling she did the first time they met and shook hands. She liked this feeling and so she laid her hand on top of Lena's.

Lena didn't make eye contact with Stef, but when Stef's hand covered hers, she took it as a sign that Stef was attracted to her. At least that's what she was hoping but since was on her 3rd glass of wine, she wasn't sure she could trust her senses.

Colleen was the one who first said that she needed to go and Nicole agreed to take the 4 ladies home. Lena said that she needed to call a cab and Stef said that was crazy, she would drop her off. Lena asked if she was sure, and Stef said that it was her job to serve and protect. That got a giggle out of Lena so she opened the door and climbed in. Stef drove as Lena gave directions to her apartment. When they pulled into the complex Stef got out to walk Lena to her door. She said that it was her duty as a police officer to make sure that the lady got home safe. Lena giggled again as she attempted to unlock her door. After Lena dropped her keys, Stef picked them up and opened the door and Lena stumbled over the threshold. Stef reached out to grab Lena before she fell and their eyes locked. Lena straightened herself and reached around Stef's waist and pulled her close. She leaned in and lightly kissed Stef's lips. When she felt Stef relax against her, she deepened the kiss.

Suddenly Stef pulled away and said, "I can't do this". Avoiding eye contact, Stef asked Lena, "Are you going to be ok".

Lena wanted to respond, No, but she said, "Yes, I can make it from here". Stef said good night and returned to her car.

Lena made her way to her room where she collapsed on her bed and began to cry. Why did she just do that? Now, Stef would never want to see her again. How could she be so stupid? She just ruined the possibility of a friendship with Stef, because she was horny. Maybe that was best. She wasn't sure she could just be friends with Stef Foster.


	6. Chapter 6 - Firsts

Stef doesn't even remember driving home she was so lost in her thoughts. What had just happened? As she crawled into bed, she thought about that kiss. It had been the most wonderful kiss she had ever had. She must have kissed Mike thousands of times in their 9 years together, but none of them made her feel like she did after the kiss with Lena. If it was so wonderful, why did she stop? What was she afraid of? Was she worried about Mike? That couldn't be it because she had told him the night before that they were separated and her private life was hers. Was she embarrassed because Lena was a woman? Would she be having this guilt if she had kissed a guy? No, she was sure she wouldn't have felt this way after kissing a guy, because there wouldn't have been any feelings there at all. It was Lena. This woman mesmerized her. She hadn't been able to get Lena out of her mind since the day they met. What was happening to her? Was she really falling for this woman?

When Stef awoke she knew things would be different. She had dreamed of Lena during the night and woke feeling so content that she knew that everything was going to be ok. She needed to talk to Lena and apologize, but first she had to get through her shift at work.

Lena awoke with slight headache. She wasn't sure if it was the wine or the crying. When she looked in the mirror and saw her puffy eyes, she realized it was probably both. She fixed herself a cup of tea and some toast and sat down to read the paper. She knew she had to keep her mind off Stef and the only way to do that was to keep busy. She called her friends, Jenna and Kelly, and volunteered to babysit for them that night. They were beyond thrilled and took her up on the offer. Jenna picked Lena up so she could go to Dino's and get her car. During the drive, Jenna asked her friend what was wrong. Jenna said, "Come on, you can't tell me you are still getting over Gretchen. What is going on Lena? Talk to me".

Lena let out a sigh and said, that no, it wasn't Gretchen, she was just lonely and probably wouldn't ever date again. Jenna responded that she was beautiful and anyone would be lucky to have her.

Lena said under her breath, "Yeah, well, Tell Stef that".

Jenna's mouth fell open and then she said, "Who is Stef".

Lena said that she wasn't supposed to hear that. Jenna said that she did, so now she had to spill. They sat in Dino's parking lot as Lena told Jenna about her meeting with Stef and about their kiss last night. Jenna listened carefully then warned Lena about getting involved with a married woman and said that she didn't want to see her get hurt. Lena wiped away a tear and said that she was already hurting and that she would see her tonight.

Lena was enjoying her time with Garrett, he was such a good baby and she really loved taking care of him. It reminded her how bad she wanted children some day and that was the reason she and Gretchen broke up, because Gretchen didn't want kids. Lena decided that she couldn't get involved with Stef because Stef was married and had a son of her own and Lena wouldn't get in the middle of that. She resolved herself to not seeing Stef again, even though it made her sad.

It was the longest shift of Stef's life or at least it felt that way. All she wanted to do was go see Lena. Luckily it had been a pretty slow day so she only had one more hour on her shift. Later, she would realize that she jinxed herself. With only 45 minutes left in her shift, they got a call of an armed robbery in progress. As they raced to the scene, she cleared her mind knowing she would have to focus on the job at hand. There was already a patrol call there and they radioed in "officer down". Stef covered her partner as he dragged the other officer to safety. Soon, more backup arrived. The suspect was held up in the store with two hostages. Stef thought that this was going to take hours to resolve when the two hostages exited the store with their hands up and right behind them the suspect came out and put his gun on the ground. Stef and her partner led the hostages to safety as another officer arrested the suspect. Two hours later, Stef and her partner finished their paperwork and headed home. Stef was glad she had the next few days off and even though she missed Brandon, she was glad she didn't have to pick him up until Sunday night.

She went home and showered and debated whether or not she should go see Lena. She decided she needed to get this over with, so she grabbed a bottle of wine and headed out. She parked in the lot outside Lena's apartment and when she didn't see her car, she remembered that Lena left it at Dino's the night before. She felt bad that she wasn't available during the day to take Lena to her car. She decided she would offer to do that tonight. She was surprised how nervous she was knocking on Lena's door. When Lena didn't answer, she got a little perturbed thinking Lena was avoiding her. She knocked again and yelled through the door asking Lena to open up. After a few more minutes of no Lena she decided that Lena was probably right in not coming to the door, she deserved it after what she did to her. She called Lena's number and when Lena didn't pick up she hung up and headed to her car.

Lena was surprised when Jenna and Kelly returned at 830p. She asked if anything was wrong and they both replied that they had a great evening and just wanted to get home to their son. They thanked Lena for giving them a "date night" and she hugged them both good bye. She thought about stopping to pick up a movie, but she wasn't in the mood. She hopped in her car and headed home. Her phone rang and when she saw it was Stef calling, she let it go to voicemail. She didn't want to talk to Stef while she was driving and she kind of wanted to see what kind of message Stef would leave.

When she pulled into her apartment she was preoccupied with her phone trying to see if Stef left a message that she didn't see the figure walking towards her. When Stef called her name, she nearly jumped out of her skin and it stopped her in her tracks. This wasn't at all what she was expecting. "What are you doing here" she said. Stef responded, "I came to apologize, can we talk". Lena thought better of it, but invited Stef in to her apartment. Stef handed her the bottle of wine and said that it was a peace offering. Lena asked her if she wanted a glass and Stef said, "Yes, please". As Lena went to the kitchen to open the wine, Stef glanced around the apartment. She noticed that Lena had a lot of books, but that didn't realize surprise her. She saw a few photographs and noticed one which must have been Lena with her parents.

When Lena returned, she handed Stef her glass and gestured towards the couch. Stef sat and asked Lena if that was a picture of her parents. She said that it was. Lena asked Stef about her parents and Stef explained how they had split up when she was in high school. She said that her Mom moved to Fla and that she saw her Dad every once in a while.

After a few moments of silence, Stef set down her glass of wine and looked into Lena's eyes. She said, "I'm so sorry at the way I acted last night. I wasn't expecting to enjoy that kiss so much and it threw me for a loop".

"So you enjoyed the kiss?" Lena asked.

Stef responded, "very much so".

"Then why did you pull away" Lena asked softly.

Stef said that she had spent all night and all day trying to figure that out and she still wasn't sure. Stef said that the only thing she knew was that it made her feel whole again and she hadn't felt that way in years. Lena put down her glass of wine and moved closer to Stef. This time, Stef initiated the kiss and Lena didn't pull away. The kisses started softly and then Stef deepened them as she pushed Lena down on the couch. Lena's hands slipped under Stef's shirt and moved up along her breasts as she struggled to undue her bra. Stef kissed Lena's neck and trailed kisses along her cheek and then nibbled on her ear. She heard a small groan escape Lena's lips and it sent chills up her entire body. She couldn't believe that this beautiful woman was laying under her feeling her up. She didn't want to stop, but was a little nervous about going much further. She ran her hands along Lena's long lean body and she found her mouth once again. They kissed for what felt like hours when Lena giggled and pushed Stef back up to a sitting position.

Lena said, "wow, that was amazing, but I think we should stop for the night". Stef pouted and said that she agreed. When Lena asked if she wanted to stay the night, Stef said that she wasn't a fan of sleeping on the couch and would just go home.

Lena laughed and said, "Well, I was hoping you would sleep in the bed with me".

When Stef's eyes got wide, Lena responded, "don't worry, we'll both keep our clothes on, I just don't want you to go".

Stef said ok and they walked into Lena's room holding hands. Lena opened a drawer and pulled out a night shirt and offered it to Stef. She then went into the bathroom and changed into a night shirt herself and brushed her teeth and washed her face. When she came out, she offered Stef a new toothbrush which she used. They crawled into bed and Lena was happy when Stef crawled into the side that she didn't use.

"See" she said, "we already know who gets which side the bed".

Stef laughed and laid across Lena for another deep kiss. She then rolled over and Lena wrapped her long arms around her and nestled her head into Stef's neck. Stef felt so relaxed she fell asleep immediately. Lena fell asleep wondering how this happened. Twenty-four hours ago she was distraught thinking Stef would never want to see her again and now, here she was in her bed.

The next morning, Stef awoke to Lena gazing down at her. She smiled and said that she had slept so well. Lena responded, "I'm so glad, now let's eat". They walked into the kitchen and Lena started some coffee and asked "what would you like for breakfast". "Surprise me". Lena started doing her magic and when they sat down 15 minutes later, Stef couldn't believe her taste buds.

"This is the most amazing French toast I've ever had".

"Thanks, I love cooking, especially when I get to cook for others".

Stef smiled and said, "You can cook for me anytime".

Lena blushed and thought to herself that she could cook for this woman for the rest of her life. She leaned over to Stef and lightly kissed her lips. "You taste like syrup". As Stef deepened their kiss she thought only of the person next to her. That is, till she heard her phone ring. Lena begged her to ignore it, but she was always worried about Brandon when he wasn't with her.

When she saw Mike's number on her phone, she quietly cursed to herself. "Mike, what's up? What? For how long? Does he have a fever? Well, does he feel hot? Ok, I'll be there in 30 minutes". Stef hung up the phone and looked over at Lena. "I'm sorry, Brandon is sick, I have to go".

Lena responded "of course".

Stef quickly dressed and grabbed her things. She thanked Lena and ran out the door. Lena was a little surprised at how Stef left things. She understood that Stef's son was sick, but she could have at least kissed her good bye. Was Stef feeling guilty about being with her?

AN - I hope you are enjoying my firstFiction. I'd love some feedback since I am new to this and really don't consider myself a writer.


	7. Chapter 7 - Waiting

When Stef got to Mike's she ran in to the family room where Brandon was laying on the couch. She noticed her son was sweating and she reached down and felt his forehead. "Mike, he's burning up, how long has he been like this?"

"I don't know, a couple hours. He woke me up about 4am and he has thrown up 3 times".

"Has he had anything to eat or drink?"

"No, I figured he'd just throw it up and for the last hour he's been complaining that his stomach hurts".

Stef tried to wake Brandon so she could take him home and she noticed he was very lethargic. He could barely open his eyes. "Mike something is seriously wrong with him, we need to get him to a doctor". Mike could see the fear in Stef's eyes, so he picked up Brandon and took him to his car. Stef jumped in and they rushed Brandon to the hospital.

An hour after Stef left, Lena tried calling her to see how Brandon was feeling. Stef didn't answer so she left a message. She was wondering if Stef would feel guilty spending the night with her when her son was sick. She put the thought out of her mind and started some work she needed to do. School would be starting again in a week and she had a lot to do.

The doctor told Stef and Mike that Brandon was fine. He had a virus and was dehydrated. When they stuck the IV needle in Brandon's small arm, Stef couldn't help but cry. If she had only been with him when he first got sick, she would have known how to take care of him and he wouldn't be going through this right now. How could she have been with Lena when her son was sick? She was wrestling with her emotions as she sat in the chair next to her son's bed. She checked her phone and noticed two missed calls from Lena. She couldn't talk to her right now. She had a hard enough time calling her parents to tell them Brandon was in the hospital.

About 4pm, the doctor came back and checked on Brandon. He seemed to be back to his self again and had actually eaten something two hours before. She was thrilled when she was told she could take him home. She was glad she didn't have to work the next day, she wanted to spend the whole day with Brandon. Mike dropped them off and said that he'd stop by the next night after work. After she got Brandon settled in his room, Stef curled up on the couch with some tea. She had been so scared this morning when she had first seen Brandon. She couldn't imagine what she would have done if it had been more serious. Brandon was her life and she already felt bad enough that she had torn apart their family. If anything ever happened to him, she didn't know how she could go on.

Lena was surprised when she looked at the clock and it was after 4p. She had been focused on all her paperwork that she didn't notice how much time had gone by. Her heart sank when she looked at her phone and there were no messages or missed calls from Stef. She panicked, thinking the worst she picked up the phone and dialed Stef again. God, she hoped that Brandon was ok. She silently begged Stef to pick up the phone, and was disappointed when she didn't. She left a heartfelt message asking Stef to please let her know how Brandon was doing and that she was worried about him, and her. When she didn't hear from Stef by 10pm, she was seriously worried. Either Brandon was really sick, or Stef didn't want to see her again. She thought that their evening and breakfast together had gone well, but who was she kidding, Stef WAS still married and had a son. She probably realized that she missed her family and wanted it back.

The next morning, Stef was so excited when Brandon came running into her room with a big smile on his face. As he crawled into bed with her, she asked, "How are you doing B?"

He responded, "I'm starving".

That was music to her ears, "Let's go eat". She made them both oatmeal and Brandon ate more that she did. She asked him what she wanted to do that day and he asked if he was going to pre-school. She answered, "No, we are going to have a Mother-Son day".

Brandon screamed, "Yeah, can we watch cartoons".

"Of course we can" she responded. They spent the day watching cartoons and playing Legos.

At 5p, Mike stopped by to check on Brandon. She invited him to stay for dinner and they had Brandon's favorite, lasagna. As she sat across from Mike, she felt a little bad. She had been thinking a lot about him today. She knew that he was hurt when she left, but she hadn't been happy in a long time and until recently didn't know why. Sometimes she really missed their family, but she knew that she couldn't stay with Mike. He hadn't made her happy in a long time and she felt bad for him. He had tried, but there was nothing there. After dinner, Brandon went into watch a movie and Stef walked Mike out. He walked outside and then turned and apologized to Stef. "I'm sorry I didn't take better care of Brandon. I just didn't realize he was so sick. He means the world to me Stef and I would do anything for him".

Stef saw the sadness in Mike's eyes and said, "I know Mike". I was scared yesterday too". She leaned in and gave him a hug. He kissed her on the cheek and said bye. He slowly walked to his car and Stef walked back in the house.

Lena couldn't believe it. She knew she shouldn't have come here. She was just so worried about Brandon and Stef and had to check on them. She had been sitting in her car outside Stef's apartment for 10 minutes before she worked up the courage to open her door. That's when she noticed Stef open her front door and walk outside with a man she only assumed was Mike. Her heart sank when she saw Stef hug this man and he kiss her. She sank down in her car as he drove away. It was all she could do to drive home. She wasn't even sure how she did it through her tears. She ran into her house and collapsed on her bed. Jenna had been right she was crazy to get involved with a married woman.

After Stef put her son to bed, she went to check her phone for messages. She was surprised that Lena hadn't called. She had thought of her often over the last two days but she needed to focus on Brandon. When she got her phone out of her purse she realized it was dead. She wasn't even sure when the last time she had checked it. She plugged it in and started to clean up the dinner dishes. After her phone charged a little she noticed she had several missed calls and messages from Lena. She suddenly felt guilty that she hadn't talked to her. Wow, she must be really worried. She listened to Lena's messages and her heart broke hearing the worry in Lena's last message. She immediately dialed Lena's number and was disappointed when it was straight to voice mail. She left a message apologizing that she hadn't been in touch and that Brandon was doing fine. She asked Lena to call her back.


	8. Chapter 8 - Kids

The next day, Stef dropped Brandon off at pre-school and headed to work. She checked her phone several times that day to see if Lena called. When Lena hadn't called by lunch, Stef had called her again and left yet another message. She couldn't understand why Lena wasn't returning her calls. Stef spent the next two days thinking about Lena and wondering why she hadn't called. Maybe Lena didn't want to be with her. Maybe Lena didn't want to be involved with someone with a child. Stef thought Lena liked kids, after all she worked a school, but maybe she didn't want kids of her own. That must be it. Well, Brandon was her world and if Lena didn't want to be with her because she had Brandon, well it was Lena's loss.

Lena spent the week helping get Anchor Beach ready for a new school year. It was her second year as Assistant Vice Principal and she was looking forward to the new year. She couldn't wait to see the kids again and was looking forward to meeting the kids starting kindergarten. She hadn't seen Stef since the morning she made her French toast. Stef had called her several times, but Lena couldn't bring herself to listen to the messages. She was afraid that if she heard Stef's voice again she would want to see her. She knew that she couldn't do that. She wanted to be with Stef more than anything, but came to the realization that Stef didn't feel the same way. She had spent two nights this past week with Jenna and Kelly, crying on their shoulders. They were so supportive and never said to her "we told you so". They supported her and told her she needed to get out there and met someone else. Jenna mentioned a new colleague at work and suggested they all have dinner the following weekend. Lena was hesitant but knew she needed to get her mind off Stef so she agreed.

Stef spent the week getting Brandon ready to start kindergarten. She couldn't believe that her son was growing up so fast. She was looking forward to seeing the new things her son would experience. Brandon bounded into Stef's room on Monday morning, already dressed for school. She laughed at his miss-matched outfit. She helped him change and then she drove him to school. When she walked into the classroom it was filled with excited kids and anxious parents. Brandon clung to her hand a little nervous about the new environment. She bent down and whispered in his ear that she loved him and that he was going to have a fabulous day. When another little boy walked over and handed him a truck, Brandon hugged his Mom and ran with the boy to join some other kids. Stef was so focused on Brandon, that she didn't even notice Lena watching her. As she stood up and turned to leave, she noticed Lucy and Colleen standing by the door. She walked over to them and they chatted for a few moments about their kids. When she saw Lena across the room talking to some of the other parents, her heart skipped a beat. When their eyes met and Lena smiled at her, Stef felt the wind go out of her. She knew she couldn't face Lena so she left.

When Lena saw Stef walk in the room with her son, she was shocked by her own reaction. Her knees went week and all she could do was watch this beautiful woman and her son. She was so envious of the obvious love they had for each other. For a moment she forgot of everything she had gone through the last week and wondered what kind of life they could have together. A little later, when her eyes met Stef's across the room, she couldn't help but smile. She was devastated when Stef just looked at her and left the room. That just reinforced that Stef didn't want her.

On the third day of school, Brandon took a tumble on the playground and scraped his leg. Lena happened to be out in the play yard and went to comfort Brandon. She knew that the nurses office had two sick kids in it waiting for their parents, so after picking up some antiseptic, gauze and band aids, she took Brandon back to her office. As she was cleaning his wound, Brandon asked Ms. Adams if she had any kids.

She responded, "No, but I'll tell you a secret, I hope someday to have a bunch of kids". He asked her how she knew how to clean scrapes and she said that she has had been working at the school for a while and had taken care of a lot of kids. She wiped away his tears and handed him a lollipop. She helped him down off her desk and walked him back to class. As he got to the door Brandon hugged Lena and said that someday she would be a good "Mama". Lena got tears in her eyes and she quickly returned to her office and buried herself in paperwork. She hadn't even heard the bell ring.

When Stef got to school to pick up Brandon, she noticed the big band aid on his knee. He told her that he had fallen and said, "Ms. Adams was really nice Mom. She took care of me and she told me a secret". Stef was a little surprised and asked Brandon if he would tell her what it is. He looked at his Mom and said, "Well I know we don't keep secrets so I guess I can tell you. Ms. Adams said that she hoped to have a bunch of kids someday". Stef stopped dead in her tracks. She was dumbfounded. Lena wanted kids after all. She was suddenly hopeful again, not even thinking that Lena didn't want her she told Brandon that they needed to go thank Ms. Adams for taking care of him.

Lena was surprised when Stef and Brandon walked into her office. She smiled at Brandon, avoiding eye contact with Stef, and asked him how his knee was doing. He said that it was fine, but that he had told his Mom her secret. For a moment, Lena wasn't sure what Brandon was talking about. Then she remembered the comment she made about wanting kids. She smiled and said, "That's ok Brandon". When she looked at Stef, she had to fight back tears. "You have a brave little boy there".

Stef's heart broke when she saw the tears in Lena's eyes. She turned to Brandon and said, "Hey B, why don't you go back out to the playground with the other kids and I'll come and get you. I need to talk to Ms. Adams".

Brandon asked, "Am I in trouble Mom".

"No honey, I just need to talk to Ms. Adams." Stef walked out of Lena's office and asked her secretary if she could take Brandon to the playground. When she said yes, she returned to Lena's office and shut the door.

Lena and Stef just stared at each other for a few moments, both willing the other to speak. Stef finally interrupted the silence, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I didn't call you back the day that Brandon got sick. I was just so wrapped up in him, that I didn't notice my phone died. I called you as soon as I got your messages. Why didn't you call me back"?

Lena got mad. "Stef, you didn't call me for two days. I was so worried about Brandon I thought he was seriously ill. I couldn't imagine what you were going through, but I thought that you would at least tried to call me."

Stef said, "I did".

Lena responded, "Not until Monday night. By then I had already driven to your house to make sure you were ok".

"You drove to my house? Why didn't you come to the door?"

"Well you were busy with someone else".

"What are you talking about? I was alone that night". Then Stef remembered that Mike had come over to check on Brandon and stayed for dinner.

"I saw you hugging a man and he kissed you".

"That was Mike. He had come by to check on Brandon and we talked. We were both scared about Brandon and I felt bad for him."

"You felt bad for him. It looked like more than that".

Stef couldn't take it anymore. She sat in the chair across from Lena's desk and took a deep breath. "Is that what this is all about? You saw me with Mike and you think I want to be with him".

Lena sat in her chair and softly said, "Yes".

"Lena, I don't want to be with Mike. I want to be with….You. I thought you didn't want to be with me because of Brandon".

"What are you talking about".

"I thought that you didn't want kids and realized that I can't be with someone who doesn't want to be with Brandon".

Lena was dumbfounded. She couldn't believe that Stef thought that about her. How well did they really know each other? She looked at Stef and said, "I love kids and I want a family someday.

Stef stood up and walked around Lena's desk just as Lena stood up. They stared into each other's eyes and then Stef reached for Lena and pulled her close. They clung to each other a few moments before Stef took Lena's hands and kissed her lightly on the lips. Lena pulled away and said, "I can't do this here, you need to leave". Stef looked into Lena's eyes and pleaded, "Please come over and have dinner with Brandon and me on Saturday".

A.N. - hope you are enjoying this. Only a few chapters left.


	9. Chapter 9 - Date

Lena looked at the ground and said, "I'm sorry, I have plans on Saturday night".

Stef dropped Lena's hands and said, "Do you have a date"?

Lena responded, "Yes, a blind date"

Stef sighed heavily before walking out the door. When she and Brandon drove away from the school, he asked "Mom, Is Ms. Adams mad at me for telling her secret".

"No Brandon, why would you say that".

"You seemed happy when you saw Ms. Adams and now you look sad. If it wasn't because I told you her secret, why are you so sad?"

"Brandon, I am a little sad, but it has nothing to do with you. I love you B."

"I Love you too Mom".

Over the next few days, when Stef dropped off or picked up Brandon from school, she made sure she stayed away from Lena's office. She even let Mike pick up Brandon on Friday even though it wasn't his weekend. She knew Brandon missed his father, so she was ok with them spending Friday afternoon together. On Saturday night, all Stef could think of was Lena and whether she was enjoying her date. She couldn't believe how jealous she was. She didn't even realize that the movie she and Brandon had watched was over. She put Brandon to bed and then went straight to her room. She tried to read, but couldn't focus. She finally turned the lights off and just went to sleep, trying not to think of the person that she wanted to be with most right now.

Lena got to Jenna and Kelly's house a little early. She wanted to have a glass of wine before her "date" showed up. When she heard the doorbell ring, she got a little nervous. She wasn't sure she was going to be able to do this. She had spent the last three days trying not to think of Stef. She thought she wanted to move on, but deep down inside she wasn't sure. Kelly walked into the kitchen and said, "Lena, this is Martha. Martha, Lena". Martha extended her hand and Lena shook it and said, "It's nice to meet you". Her immediate thought was that Martha was pretty, but she wasn't Stef. When their hands had touched, she hadn't felt a thing. This was going to be along night.

When Jenna got up to get dessert, Lena followed her into the kitchen. Her friend looked at her and said, "Nothing".

Lena frowned and said, "I'm sorry, she seems nice, but I just can't do this right now".

Jenna said, "Don't worry, I'll get you out of here quickly". 15minutes later, Jenna was apologizing to Martha explaining that she suddenly wasn't feeling well. Martha thanked them for the evening and left.

Kelly looked at Jenna and said, "What's going on?"

Jenna responded, "Our friend here is in Love with a married woman and until she gets over it, we can't be setting her up".

Lena smiled and said, "I have to go".

The next day, Lena drove to Stef's house and with all the courage she could summon, she knocked on the door. Stef shut off the vacuum when she heard the doorbell ring. She thought that it was the neighbor bringing Brandon back. She was surprised to see Lena standing there. She asked, "Lena, what are you doing here".

"We need to talk Stef."

Stef asked sarcastically, "How was your date?"

Lena stared into Stef's eyes and said, "May I come in".

Stef stepped aside and let Lena enter.

Lena looked around and asked where Brandon was. Stef informed her that he was on a play date with a neighbor.

Lena turned on her heel and said, "Stef Foster, I can't get you out of my head and I need to figure out what's going on with us".

"What do you want to be going us?"

"I don't know Stef. I just know that all I want to do is hold you, touch you and kiss you. I need to know if you want the same thing".

Stef blushed and said, "I admit, I'm a little confused. The first time I saw you I knew that I wanted to be with you. It scares me Lena. I have never had feelings like this for another woman, at least not in a long time".

"Wait, you've had feelings for a woman before?"

Stef walked over to the couch and sat down, "Well, not a woman, a girl. When I was in high school I had feelings for my best friend". Lena sat down next to Stef as Stef told Lena all about what happened with Tess. She told her about her father's reaction and how that had humiliated her.

Lena took Stef's hand in her own and said, "I'm sorry Stef that must have been really difficult. I can't imagine how confused you must have been. I forget sometimes that all parents aren't as supportive as mine".

Stef looked at Lena and asked, "So your parents are ok with you being gay".

"Yes, my parents have always been supportive. I guess it's because they were discriminated against because who they feel in love with, so they didn't want me to go through the same thing. My Mom is black and My Dad is white".

"I know Lena I saw a picture of the three of you at your apartment".

"Oh, that's right, you were at my apartment".

"Yes I was and again, I'm sorry how I left that morning. I was just worried about Brandon".

"I know. But, can we get back to the topic at hand. What do you want Stef".

"You"

Lena grinned as she pushed Stef back against the couch and they started kissing. As she moved her hands up Stef's back she felt Stef stiffen against her touch. Should she be doing this, obviously Stef wasn't enjoying this as much as she was. No, Stef was probably just nervous she still hadn't parted their lips when they kissed. Getting frustrated, Lena bit Stef's bottom lip. When Stef gasped, Lena thrust her tongue into Stef's mouth. When their tongues met, Lena tasted the sparks. After a few moments she felt Stef relax in her arms and she even heard the blonde underneath her moan. She grinned as she ran kisses down Stef's neck and across her shoulder. Stef slowly took charge as she lifted Lena's shirt over her head and fumbled with her bra clasp. Lena giggled and took off her own bra and then helped Stef take off her shirt and bra.

Stef couldn't believe what she was seeing. Lena was perfect. She looked into Lena's eyes and knew she was right where she was supposed to be with the person she was supposed to be with. She trailed kisses down Lena's shoulder and headed toward her pert breasts when she heard a knock on the door.

Stef bolted up grabbing her bra trying to put in on quickly. She looked at Lena and pointed toward the bathroom. Stef slipped the shirt over her head and when Lena closed the bathroom door, she opened the front door. Brandon ran passed her running into the family room. Her neighbor apologized and said that she had a family emergency and had to leave. Stef thanked her for watching Brandon and said she hoped everything would be ok.

Lena came out of the bathroom and was surprised to see Brandon sitting on the couch. "Hi Brandon"

"Ms. Adams, Hi, what are you doing here".

Stef walked over and sat next to Brandon. "She's here to see me. She's my friend and we wanted to spend time together".

"Like my play date".

Stef chuckled and said, "Yes B, like a grown up play date. How do you feel about that?"

He looked from Lena to his Mom and said, "I like her Mom. You smile when she is here and you don't smile that much anymore".

"Thanks B. I love you. Do you think you could go play in your room for while so Ms. Adams and I can talk"?

"Sure Mom".

Brandon ran into his room and Stef walked over to Lena and took her into her arms. "I hate that we got interrupted".

"Yeah, me too. I hope we can continue where we left off someday soon".

Stef smiled as she kissed Lena quickly, "Very soon. I was hoping that maybe we can go on a date. Brandon will be with Mike next weekend".

"That sounds great, Saturday night then".

"Saturday night".

They kissed good bye and Lena walked out the door feeling better than she had ever felt in her life. She was looking forward to her date with Stef and couldn't wait till next weekend.

A.N. - What do you think? I only have one more chapter planned.


	10. Chapter 10 - Realization

Lena was so excited about her date with Stef. Now that she knew Stef had feelings for her, she wanted to pursue this relationship. She took over an hour getting ready and had even purchased a new dress for this special night. She looked at the clock and realized that Stef would be here in 10 minutes. 45 minutes later, Stef still hadn't shown up to pick her up and she hadn't heard from her. She called her twice and texted her too. Finally after another 30 minutes she got a text from Stef saying "Have to cancel tonight, sorry". Lena was so disappointed and a little confused. She texted Stef back asking her if everything was ok. She waited an hour and when Stef didn't respond, she finished the glass of wine she had started and went to bed.

Stef couldn't believe it. When she went to drop Brandon off, Mike was drunk and it was in the middle of the day. He asked her who she was going out with and when she said it was none of his business, he took a swing at her. Luckily, because he was drunk, he missed. Brandon began to cry asking his Mom what was wrong with Daddy. Stef took Brandon home and got him calmed down. She called her Dad asking him if he could take Brandon for the evening, but he said that he had plans. Trying to save her date with Lena, Stef tried a few more babysitters she had used in the past but no one was available. She texted the bad news to Lena and said that she would talk to her the next day.

Stef dropped Brandon off at her Dad's the following morning. Brandon was so glad to see his grandfather and knew that they would have a fun day together.

Stef called Lena and asked her to meet her at the Promenade. They decided on the diner for brunch. When Stef arrived, she recognized one of the couple's that was waiting for a table. It was one of the guys that worked at the station with her and she really didn't want to explain Lena to them. She almost turned around, but then she saw Lena waiting for her.

Lena approached Stef and stepped in to give her a hug. She was appalled when Stef took a step back and stuck out her hand for a handshake. She looked at Stef who avoided eye contact and mumbled, "it's good to see you again".

The hostess led them to their table and Stef was relieved to have a little privacy. She was just about to apologize to Lena when she heard, "Stef Foster, is that you".

"Jim, Bonnie, how are you too?"

"We're great, how are Mike and Brandon" they asked looking at Lena.

"Mike and Brandon are good. As a matter of fact Brandon is with my Dad today. This is my friend, Lena".

"Hi Lena, it's nice to meet you".

"Nice to meet you too" Lena said coldly.

The couple walked to their table and Stef turned to Lena, "I'm sorry about that". Jim works at the precinct with me".

"That's nice" Lena commented. She studied the menu and tried not to look at Stef. She was so angry right now. She knew that this whole lesbian thing was new to Stef, but was she that embarrassed to be with her. She decided to just get through this brunch.

They made small talk and Lena quickly finished her meal and said that she had to go, she had some work she needed to get done.

When they walked to the car, Stef leaned in to kiss Lena and Lena turned her head. Stef was confused. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? How about how you just treated me in front of your friends.

"What are you talking about" Stef questioned.

"You introduced me as your friend".

"You are my friend aren't you? Stef asked.

"Well, I thought that I was more than that to you"

"Oh honey, you know you mean the world to me, it's just that I'm not sure I'm ready to tell the world about you".

"I see. Well Stef, I can't do this. I'm all in this relationship, but obviously you aren't. Maybe you should call me when you decide you want to be with me 100%"

"Lena, I do want to be with you 100%". Stef pleaded.

"No you don't Stef. You are embarrassed about being with me. You aren't comfortable with this relationship and until you are, we can't be together". Lena jumped in her car and sped off.

Stef was dumbfounded. What had just happened? She was in more in love with Lena than she had ever been with anyone. She stood there for a moment and then decided that there was only one thing she could do to fix this. She called Mike and asked to meet him for coffee the next day.

That night, Lena decided to go out with Jenna and Kelly. While they were out, they ran into Gretchen. When Gretchen approached their table, Lena got a little excited. Would they be able to rekindle their romance? Gretchen asked Lena to dance and she said yes, even though Jenna and Kelly both glared at her. She had a little too much to drink, but decided she just wanted to have some fun. She danced with Gretchen for several songs, dancing closer after each one. Gretchen led Lena off the floor and to the back on the club where she took her in her arms and kissed her. For a moment Lena thought that maybe this was her future, maybe this is who she was meant to be with. She looked into Gretchen's eyes and told her she missed her. Gretchen said that she missed her too.

Gretchen excused herself to the restroom and Lena returned to Jenna and Kelly. They both asked what she was doing. Lena said that she wasn't sure, but thought maybe she should try again with Gretchen. Jenna asked if she still had feelings for her and Lena responded, "to be honest, the whole time we were dancing, I was wishing she was Stef, but I can't have Stef, so I guess this is what I get".

Lena glanced over at Kelly and saw that she had a stunned expression on her face. When she looked over to see what she was looking at, she saw Gretchen back on the dance floor with some other woman, making out with her. Lena couldn't believe it. How on earth did she think she could trust Gretchen again.

"Figures, Gretchen will never change. Shame on me for thinking she would". Lena looked over at Gretchen and then turned to Jenna and Kelly, "Can we go, I'm not feeling well and I just need to get out of here".

Kelly responded, "Of course, let's go".

Lena said, "You two are my best friends, please remind me about this if I ever think about Gretchen again. Also, remind me to stay away from Stef. I just need to be alone for a while".

Kelly and Jenna looked at each other and both told Lena that they loved her and only wanted her to be happy.

When Lena got home, she was devastated. She realized that not being able to be with Stef so much more painful than not being with Gretchen. She thought she knew love when she was with Gretchen, but now knows that it wasn't love at all. She has feelings for Stef that she has never experienced before. If someone had told her months ago, that she would fall for a Cop with a son, Lena would have laughed in their face. At first thought, Stef wasn't her type at all. Maybe this was what true love was all about She and Stef hadn't been intimate, but she felt a connection with her that she had never had before. Lena realized that maybe Stef came into her life just to teach her that true love was out there, she just needed to find it.

The meeting with Mike had gone better than she thought. She had actually told him she was a lesbian. That was the first time she had said that word out loud and it felt good. She called a few of her friends and was surprised at how supportive they were. She knew the hardest thing was going to be talking to her Dad. When she went to pick up Brandon, she bribed him with some candy and sent him to the living room so she could talk to her Dad. She was kind of glad that Brandon was in the house as she knew her Dad couldn't get that mad.

When she left her Dad's house she smiled at Brandon in the back seat. She had a new energy and happiness that ran through her. After she tucked him in and kissed him goodnight she was excited to call Lena and tell her about her day. She was disappointed when Lena didn't answer the phone. She left a message and waited for Lena to call back. Stef fell asleep on the couch and woke up about midnight. She looked at her phone and was sad to see that Lena hadn't called her back. She decided right then that she would go see Lena tomorrow. She crawled into bed and fell asleep instantly.

When she woke up the next day, she felt different. She felt genuinely happy and wanted to share that with Lena. She got Brandon packed up and ready for school. She dropped Brandon at his class and walked back to the parking lot. She called Lena's office and begged her to come out to the parking lot for a moment.

Lena woke up Monday morning with a new resolve. She and Stef were over for good. She couldn't date someone that wasn't ok being a lesbian. She was sad but knew it was the right thing to do. She was now thankful that Stef had entered her life even if only to have learned from the experience of knowing her.

When her office phone rang, she picked it up without looking at the caller ID. When she heard Stef's voice she cringed. She couldn't believe she was in the parking lot. Fine, she would just have to tell her in person that she couldn't see her anymore. She hung up the phone and headed outside.

When she saw Stef, she almost lost her nerve, but knew it had to be done.

"I'm not doing this. I'm not. I'm not getting involved with a married woman. Woman like you, you are just passing through. But this is where I live Stef".

"I told Mike and I told my Dad and I told all my, well most of my friends that I'm gay. I even used the word lesbian. I told them that I met a woman that I can't live without. I belong with you Lena…that's if..."

"You had me at lesbian".

Stef took a step closer to Lena and took ahold of her arms and placed them on her own hips. She leaned in and locked eyes with Lena, their foreheads touching.

At the moment their lips touched, they both knew, this would be FOREVER.

A.N. That's the end. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm thinking of starting a new story from right after this moment. What do you think? Should I do it?


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